A Life Without You
by EpicicDude
Summary: "A life without you is a life I don't want to live…" How will Kim react when he's gone? What will be her new reason to live? And will she even have any? He let go to save her from having to choose, and left her alone, regretting that he'd never known how she felt... regretting that she'd never gotten to know how he really felt... (WARNING: blood, death, heartache, the usual)
1. Chapter 1

**A Life Without You…**

**Chapter one: Don't leave me**

**POV: Kim Crawford**

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I stared down at his lifeless form. He just couldn't be dead! My mind swirled sickeningly as the past few hours replayed in my head.

"Hey Kim, come on!" Jack told me for the umpteenth time to keep up. I sighed and made myself go faster. "Coming!" I replied, frustrated. "Jerry! Don't walk so close to the edge." I cried. Jerry turned to me. "I got this Kim, besides, Jack and I are tied together, if I fall, he'll just pull me back up." He smiled at me. "Or, I'll let you dangle and laugh while you scream." Jack teased. Jerry shot him a dirty look –in a friendly way-

I shook my head, smiling. Leave it to Jerry and Jack to be messing around when they're up this high. Jack, Jerry and I were vacationing in the mountains, and right now, we were climbing along one of the ridges. There were steep drops on either side of us. Somehow, I had no idea how this place was open to the public, it was dangerous. But the boys had to have their fun, and I let them. If they wanted to get themselves killed, well, let them!

Metaphorically speaking of course. I never actually intended on letting any of them die. And still, here I am, holding his head in my lap, his blood still soaking my clothes. My mind returned to the past.

"Jerry, I'm serious, stop being stupid!" I cried as Jerry slipped and nearly fell. "She's right dude." Jack told him, bracing his weight against the rope. I was tied to them as well. My rope was tied to the middle of theirs and was only half as long, which was about two feet. "I said I got thi-" His sentence was cut off when the rocks beneath his feet at the very edge of the cliff broke and he fell. "Jerry!" Jack and I cried. We leaned back against the rope, holding his weight.

"Hold on Kim, we… can pull him back up." Jack cried. I nodded, glancing back at him. "Jack! Look out!" I cried as he took a step back and too slipped off the edge. I shrieked when the rope went taught, ripping me off my feet. "Ow…" I moaned. I was closer to the side where Jack was he was dangling loosely, and it looked like he was unconscious. "Jerry?" I cried over my shoulder. There was no reply. I grunted and scooted back to the middle of the cliff. I needed to do something.

I finally decided as I saw that it got narrower up ahead. I would be able to see them both, and possibly help them back up. I was wrong. As I finally reached the narrowest part, I looked below me to see the most horrifying thing I'd ever seen. Jagged rocks at the bottom, was a given, but also that the rock beneath me was no longer solid, I was laying on a ledge jutting-out from the rest of the rocks, and a thin ledge at that. The situation had quickly become worse.

By now, Jack and Jerry were starting to wake up, and I was starting to feel the strain of holding them. I whimpered when I felt the rope begin to snap. "Jack! Jerry! Wake up!" I told them. They obeyed. "Kim, you can't hold us, get Jerry up." Jack told me. "No! I got you, just hold... on." The rope had come untied from mine and I was now holding onto it for their dear lives as it started to fray in the middle.

I swallowed hard, glancing down at them. I could tell that the ropes had come untied from them as well and the only thing holding them was themselves. I screamed when the rope finally snapped and my arms were nearly ripped out of their sockets as they went taught again. I was now stuck, splayed on my stomach on a thin and crumbling piece of rock, with two boys at the end of two ropes in my hands.

I whimpered as I begun feeling the massive strain. I felt Jack's rope bouncing. I glanced down at him. He was trying to climb it, but I could tell he was having trouble. I could see blood all over his right shoulder, probably caused from when he first fell. He slid back down, unable to do it. "Hold on guys! Just hold on!" I told them.

Jack looked up at me. "Kim, you can't save us both!" He cried, locking his eyes with mine. "Yes… I can, just hold on!" I cried, strain thick in my voice. "No, you can't!" I found it hurtful he lacked confidence in my abilities. "I can't lose you guys! No! I won't let either of you go!" I cried at him. He glanced over at Jerry, then back up at me. "I know you won't, I won't make you chose." He told me quietly, then I saw his hands slip free of the rope and he was falling…

"NOOOO!" I heard someone scream, not realizing it was me. "JACK!" Jerry screamed. I was pulled heavily to the left, Jerry's weight suddenly the only weight I had to hold. I stood up and heaved back, helping Jerry up. He fell onto the rock, panting. I fell back down on my hands and knees to see Jack's broken form down at the bottom.

I had run with all my might until I found a way down, leaving Jerry alone up on the rock. I had come to Jack, who was panting heavily, and bleeding even more so. "Jack!" I whimpered, grabbing his upper body and putting it in my lap. "Hold... just hold on, you're gonna be okay." I whimpered. He looked around.

"Is Jerry okay?" He asked. I nodded. He smiled. "Good." I leaned down, not wanting anything to happen to him without him knowing how I felt. I kissed him softly, tenderly, lovingly. When I pulled back, he was gone. I had stayed there with him for hours.

And that's how I was now. I had forgotten about Jerry. I didn't know where he was and I honestly didn't care. I stared at Jack's face. Stared at the blood all over his body. At the sickening way his bones looked all twisted and out of place. I let my head droop. "Jack." I whimpered, letting the tears fall. "A life without you isn't a life I want to live."

**(A/N: how did you like it? Because I'm just not sure. And some of you have been asking why all my stories I'm mean to Jack well, I think it's an illness. I'm mean to the characters I LOVE. I don't know why, like I said, i think it's an illness. Anyway, REVIEW and let me know if you want me to continue.**


	2. A startling discovery

**Chapter two: A startling discover**

**POV: Jack Brewer**

I felt her lips, warm and sweet press gently against mine. I felt my life draining. But something happened before the life left my body. Something strange that I can't explain I was suddenly aware of everything around me. I stared blankly. My head turned, though I hadn't turned it. I saw Jerry and Milton, Eddie and Rudy, my parents… Kim's parents, everyone I knew! Except Kim, where was Kim?

I saw Kim's best friend, Grace come up to her. She put a hand on my shoulder. I stared at her, bewildered. 'I'm so sorry Kim, I knew you really loved him." She had tears in her eyes. Excuse me? She pulled me into a hug. I pushed her away and she stared at me. I stared back, then fled the scene, freaking out.

_What the world?_

**Wait, who is this?**

_Um, it's me, Kim. You're my annoying conscience, right? Why did I just do that?_

**I'm not your conscience... I thought you were mine!**

_What?!_

**Wait, Kim? Is that you?**

_Yes…_

**How am I inside your head? **By now, I was really freaking out! We walked into a room and sat down. I jumped back up and looked at my reflection. My mouth dropped to the floor. The person who stared back was _not _me! It was Kim! I stuttered, pointing at myself, then looking down. I felt of my hair, long and blonde. Looked down at my skirt and um… womanly body parts.

_Oh, no you don't!_

**What?! I wasn't, I mean… I wouldn't…**

"Sure you wouldn't." She started for the door. I stopped and Kim's body stopped short. "Jack!" She cried. This was freaky. It seemed that we were battling for control of Kim's body!

**Kim! We need to find out what's going on! **I told her. "I know what's going on." She sobbed. "My mind is playing dirty tricks on me! Jack's dead! Get over it!" She continued sobbing and slumped down to the floor. "Kim, sweetie, are you okay?" We looked up and saw Kim's mother. "I'm fine." She told her a little too-forcefully. Her mother sighed and sat next to us. "Honey, I know you really liked Jack.." She started. "I knew it! I knew you liked me!" ooops, had I said that using Kim's mouth? It had come out of my own mouth, but in her voice.

Kim's mother stared at us, confused. She put a hand to our, erm, Kim's forehead. Kim shoved her hand away. "I'm fine!" She insisted. Kim's mother sighed. "Baby, it's okay." She told us. I nodded, but Kim grabbed her head and made me stop. I slapped her. Kim's mother was now staring. 'Are you sure you're okay?" She asked.

_Stop doing that!_

**Not until you agree that I'm not your conscience!**

_You are my conscience!_

"I'm fine mom, I'm just thinking about how hot Jack… was." I told her, letting out a sob at the 'was'. Kim gasped. "Oh no you didn't!" Kim's mother was staring again. "Sweetie…?" She began. "I'm _fine_ mom!" Kim shrieked, jumping up and storming out.

_I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…._

**You love me, you love me, you love me….**

_Why are you doing this?!_

**Because I'm not your conscience, tell me, has your conscience ever been able to do this? **I slapped her with her own hand again. She gasped putting a hand to her burning cheek. "No…" She admitted.

**What about this? **I made her do jumping-jacks. "OW! OW, stop, I'm in heels!" She cried.

**Admit! **"Never!"

**Okay, how about this? **I reached her hand back and squeezed a certain place. She shrieked and slapped her own hand. "Okay! FINE!" She cried. "Don't do that anymore!" She told me.

**Sorry, you left me no choice. **"Oh, I'm sure." She was fixing the wrinkles in her dress. "You know what this means?" She asked. "Duh. I'm in your body." I replied. She rolled her eyes. "Well, yeah, but it also means you're not dead!" She cried. I smiled and flipped her hair. "You got that right." She forced the smile into a frown. "Okay, but you need to stop controlling my actions." She told me.

"Why?" I asked, taking advantage of this by running her hands down to front of her body. "Jack!" She cried. I smiled. "What?" I asked using her voice and making it sound innocent. "It was _your _hands." I reminded her. She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Whatever, I need to get back to your funeral, they're having the open coffin soon, I bet you want to see your body." She smirked. "Uh, actually no, Kim I really don't…" I started.

Too late, she was already headed for the sanctuary. **Kim! **I shrieked in her head so loud she literally covered her ears. **I do not want to… **She smirked and got into the back of the line. **Kim….** I whined. _Shut it. _She told me. I sighed through her mouth. _And stop making me do stuff! _The shriek hurt my eardrums. Erm, her.. eardrums? I don't know.

I groaned mentally when we reached the coffin and I was forced to stare at my broken body. I felt tears welling in Kim's eyes. I knew they weren't my own, so they were from Kim. **It's okay, I'm alive, remember? **I reminded her. She put a hand over her mouth and nodded, unable to tear her gaze away. I gulped and closed her eyes. I didn't want her to see me anymore than I wanted to see myself. She forced them back open.

After a few more moments of her staring, she mercifully turned and walked away. I sighed again through her mouth. 'Don't worry, Kimmy. We'll find out what's going on." I whispered through her mouth.

**(A/N: HA! Gotcha, didn't I? Hehehe REVIEW!**


	3. Skunks and Annoying Consciences

**Chapter three: Skunks and Annoying Consciences **

**POV: Kim Crawford**

The rest of the week was confusing and a mess. I continued arguing with what I assumed was my own conscience that couldn't handle the idea of Jack being dead. Part of me wanted to believe the strange things I was doing actually was Jack in my body, but another part of me, the sane and rational part kept telling me that I was letting my emotions take over and that I needed to just let Jack go. Right about then, 'Jack' would scream at me for thinking such a thing, and I'd go back to believing that something truly strange had happened and that Jack indeed was somehow stuck inside me.

"Kim?" I looked up from my homework. "Yeah, Livi?" I asked. My little sister, Olivia was standing beside me. "I'm scared, I think there's something under my bed." She whimpered. I sighed, setting down the pencil and drawing the –way too old to believe in monsters under the bed- girl to me. "It's okay Livi, I know there's nothing under your bed but soda cans and homework you don't want to do." I told her. She blushed and stared at the floor.

**Oh, Kimmy, help your little sister. **"Come on, Livi, we'll see if there's anything and if there is, we'll scare it away, okay?" I didn't say that! _JAAAAACK! _**What? The kid needs emotional support! **_In a minute, you're going to need life support! I need to finish my math homework! _**Aww, just help the kid out, or should I? **_NO! _

I jumped up, taking Olivia's hand. "Come on." I smiled at her, mentally glaring at Jack. I swear I could see him smirking in my head. Creepy. We entered Livi's bed room. She pointed to her bed and hid behind me. I smiled and got down. Oh the imagining of a chil-AHHHH! What the heck? I shrieked and jumped back, making Olivia shriek and run out of the room, screaming.

"MOOOOOOOOOM!" I shrieked, running after her. **KIM! Calm down! It's just a, OW! Watch where you're going! **I heard him cry when I stubbed my toe. "ow, ow, ow…" I whimpered, jumping up and down on one foot. I suddenly stopped. _Wait, you felt that?! _I shrieked in my mind. **Yes…. That's weird… **I blinked.

Mom was running up the stairs. "What's wrong?" She cried. My mind returned and I was a scared little girl again. "For once, there was actually something under Livi's bed!" I cried, sounding like I was tattle-tailing as I pointed in the direction of her room. "What is it?" Mom asked cautiously. "It looked like a skunk." I whimpered. **No! It was just a cat, dummy! **I mentally glared at Jack. "Was not!" I cried, then realized I'd spoken aloud. I blushed furiously, then shoved her toward the room. "Go... get it…"

"Ew! No!" Mom cried. "I don't want to go _anywhere near _a skunk!" She ushered us downstairs. **I'm telling you, it was just a cat! **_Nuh-uh! It was black with that white stripe thingy down it's back! _**Yeah, that's Le'Pew, the neighbors cat! **_Bu-bu… _**Go check it out! You sissy! **_Not going to happen. _**Fine, be like that. **

He spun on my heel, making me beeline back to Livi's room. "No!" I whimpered, grabbing for every doorframe we passed and trying to hold myself back. "I'll show you it's just a cat!" He made my mouth say. "I really don't think it is!" I sang, not at all happy. "Pfft, shows what you know, oh look. Here we are and, oh, would you look at that? It's Le'pew, the neighbors cat." He made my mouth say while gesturing to the offending creature that was now sitting on Livi's bed.

I stared, unable to speak. "Well?" He asked. I clamped my hand over my mouth. _Shut up! _I hissed in my mind. My mom peeked around the corner. "Um, Kim… sweetheart, are you... okay? _Drat, they must've seen me dragging myself. _"UMN ynm, lnn." I pried my hand off my mouth. "Yeah, look mom, it's just the neighbors cat." I said sheepishly, my face discovering a new shade of red.

"Are you sure?" She asked timidly, stepping into the room and inspecting the cat. I nodded. "Yeah." She walked over and chuckled. "It is a cat." She said, picking it up. "What are you doing in Livi's room?" She was murmuring as she brought the cat out. "Olivia! It's okay, it was just a cat!" I called. "Are you sure?" She asked, peeking out from under the piano. "Positive, get up here." I told her as I leaned on the banister.

**You should be nicer to your little sister, she's really sweet. **"Oh shut up, what do you know?" My mom spun and faced me. "Excuse me?" She stared at me. "UHHHHH, I was, just, talking to myself…?" I felt my blush deepen.

_I hate you, I hate you, I hate you… _**You love me, you love me, you love me…. **Grrrrr. I bit my lip as my mom continued to stare at me. "Smooth." She told me, shaking her head and walking downstairs. I sighed. _Stop making me talk out loud! _**You're the one doing that, not me! Do you have a tendency to talk to yourself? **_Maybe…? _**Don't lie, I'm in your head. I have all your memories and ohhh, crushes! **_Don't you dare… _**Too late. OHH! Brody? Really? Hey, cool, I'm on here! **I made a face and followed my mom downstairs.

Olivia had disobeyed, and was still hiding under the piano, playing with her dolls. _So Jack, have you figured out just what happened? And how you got stuck in my head? _**No… but I think it had something to do with my spirit leaving my body right when you kissed me. You're a great kisser, by the way. **_Not the time, Jack. _**Sorry, oh, by the way, did you know you sleep-walk? **

_I think we need to get back on the topic of, what the heck you're doing in my body?! _**You sleep-eat too. **_You may have a point about the spirit leaving the body thing. _**And you talk in your sleep. **_Maybe, maybe your spirit somehow was unable to leave, and instead, it just transferred to my body through the kiss!_** Did you know you're dreams are really disturbing? **_But what can we do about that? I mean, you're dead! It's not like we can transfer your spirit back into your body._

**And they always have Garfield in them. **_Maybe we can transfer your body to someone else's, because I really don't want you in my head anymore. _**You read too many comics, I mean, Garfield? Really? **_Are you even listening to me? _**No… **_Do NOT make me come in there. _**Haha, your mind is a scary place… and I'm in it! **_Shut it. _**Madness is a place, and I'm in it! It's your head! **_Shut. It. _**People say you're a scary person on the inside, let's just say they're fortunate they don't have to see the inside! **

"THAT'S IT!" I shrieked, jumping up. "Jack! You're awesome, but you're driving me crazy!" I cried. "I can't help it, okay? It's kind of boring being stuck in your head!" He whimpered through my mouth. "Yeah? Well you're driving me crazy!" I told him, pacing back and forth. "Do you think you could eat a little more often? I'm starving!" He cried. I put a hand to my stomach. "But I'm not hungry." I told him. "I am!" He whimpered. I made a face. "How is that possible? You're dead!"

He made me shrug. "Please stop doing that." I told him. "What?" He asked. "That, stop using my mouth and making me move, it's weird." I told him. He made me shrug again. "UGH! Stop it!" I moaned, falling face-first onto my bed. This was a nightmare. 

**(A/N: I'm trying to make this one a mixture of lighthearted silliness and heavyhearted pain... a little different from my norm. REVIEW!**


	4. Conditions

**Chapter four: Conditions**

**POV: Kim Crawford**

**(the next day at school)**

_I need you to behave today, 'Jack'. _

**I will if you agree that I truly am Jack! **I made a face. _Maybe you are, or maybe I'm just going crazy. _I shook my head and jumped off the bus, heading for the school. **Yeah, on second thought, you're crazy. **I mentally glared at him, or me, I couldn't decide. I sighed, going to my locker. It had been about a week since Jack's death. I still hadn't decided if the voice in my head was Jack, or just me trying to make myself feel better.

_Jack? If it's really you, tell me something that only Jack would know. _I asked as I walked to class. **Okay, I am… scared to death of clowns. **_Nice try, but I already knew that. _**Hmm, I have a major crush on you? **_That's just something I'd like to hear him say. And, I'm pretty sure the real Jack would never admit that if it were true. _**I know… but it's true, and I might as well tell you, because I may be stuck like this forever…**

I felt my mood drop at least ten levels; I could literally feel his sadness. _Jack? Why did you do it? _**Do... what? **_That day on the cliffs, why did you let go? _He was silent for several moments. **Because, Jerry's like my brother. I couldn't let him fall. And you… I just, couldn't make you suffer like that. I didn't want to make you have to choose. And, I thought that if there was the slightest chance you might choose me, I didn't want to risk it. **

I thought about that for a moment. Would I have let go of one of them to save the other? Probably not. I loved Jack, but I loved Jerry too –in an amiable sense- and there was no way I would want to label myself with the blame for the harm of either. I swallowed hard. _Jack, I think it was very selfless of you to save us at the penalty of your own life, but I could have saved you. _

**Kim, you and I both know that's not true. The rope had snapped, you couldn't have held us both for much longer, and, I couldn't have held on for much longer anyway. **_Jack, I know you have this hero-mania to uphold, but don't you think you took it a little too far? _I slid into my seat and opened my book, staring up at the teacher, but paying her no mind. **What I did had nothing to do with my hero-complex, I did it for you guys.**

I nodded, staring at my book, feeling little tears welling. _But now all of us have to suffer from this loss. Jerry blames himself you know? He thinks it was his fault because he was walking too close to the edge. _**That's… actually kinda true… **_We need you Jack! I need you… _**I mean, he ****_was _****testing his limits when he was walking literally on the edge. **_You mean the world to me! Us, I meant us. _**And it was his idea to even go there in the first place…**

_Jack! You're doing it again! _**Huh? Doing what? **"Ugh! Never mind."I rolled my eyes and slammed my book shut. I slumped back in my chair, my arms crossed, not realizing right away that all eyes were on me. I looked around, just noticing. Oops… had I said that out loud…? "Kim Crawford, is there anything you'd like to share with the rest of the class?" Miss Karney asked. "Nope, I'm good." I told her, shaking my head.

I saw her face twitch. "Then keep your mouth shut, _please._ I'm trying to teach a class here." She went back to the board. **I'm glad I don't have to put up with her anymore… oh wait, I do. Any chance you want to skip this class…? **_JACK! Stop getting me into trouble! _**That was all you, Kimmy. **_Oho, that's it. _I jumped up. "Miss Karney, I don't feel well." I made my best 'I'm ready to puke face' as I clutched my stomach.

"Nurse's office, _now." _She said as I was already running for the door. I bolted down the hall towards the nurse's. I made a sharp turn and instead, bolted into the girls bathroom, and sat down, panting. "I think I'm going crazy, I'm hearing voices in my head!" I cried. **Hey! I'm not just a voice! **I covered my ears. "Make it stop, make it stop!" I cried, clutching at my head.

"I got to go, got to get out… make it stop!" I screamed. **Kim! It's me! Just calm down!** "No, no no no no no no no no!" I said rapidly, trying to make it stop. "I'm in control of my mind! My mind! My thoughts! My mind, my thoughts!" **Kim! **"No!" I whimpered, falling to my knees. **Kim, it's really me! Please, you have to believe me! **"No, stop! It's my mind! My control! My thoughts!" I cried. **"**Kim, please, just calm down!**"** Jack finally started using my voice, and that's when things really got confusing.

**(A/N: okay, when Jack's using Kim's voice to speak, the quotation marks are bold, okay? (I.e. "**Kim, it's me!**" is when he's talking using her voice) When he's just speaking in her mind, there's no quotations, and the words are bold, okay? That really important!)**

**"**Kim! Please! It's Jack! You have to believe me!**" **He cried. "No! Get out of my head!" I told him, writhing around on the floor. **"**Kim, listen to me, I'm not dead, I'm alive! I'm in your head! You have to help me!**" **I shook my head. "No, my body, my mind, my thoughts, I'm in control!" I told him. **"**No, you're not, I can control you too!**" **He made me slap myself. I gasped, putting a hand to my red cheek. "Don't hit me you stupid-" I had slapped myself, intending on it hurting him, but it had only stung me. "Ow…" I whimpered, rubbing my face.

**"**Kim, you have to calm down. You know as well as I do that this is real! You're not going crazy!**" **He told me, making me pace the floor. "But, how do I know my mind isn't just making me do all this so that I won't feel bad about losing you?" I cried. **"**You just have to trust me, okay?**" **He begged, making me clasp my hands together in a begging motion. "You have to stop making me do stuff! I don't care if this is real or not, this is my body! My mind! I want full control!" I demanded, stomping my foot down.

He made me laugh and flipped my hair. **"**But I like doing that.**" **He made me do one of my signature know-it-all grins. "Seriously Jack! Stop! This is what made me lose it in the first place!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air. I started to walk out. All heads turned to me as I walked down the hall, arguing with myself. **"**You know as well as I do that stuff like this doesn't just happen, something special happened between us.**" **

"Yeah? What was it? And how do we fix it?" I demanded. He made me shrug as he made my legs continue to carry me out of the school. **"**Who knows, it could have been some sort of paranormal phenomenon, a sub-existence. A parallel universe that somehow joined my mind with yours, who knows?**" **By now, we were half-way down the street. I got some pretty intense stares as I continued my fast pace walking and talking.

"Yes, that's a very interesting idée fixe. Care telling me how we can fix it?" I crossed my arms, glancing at someone who was giving me the 'are you nuts or something?' look. I tried to ignore them as Jack continued us toward home. **"**Well, I'm not exactly a wunderkind, we would need an expert on the super-natural for this.**" **I rolled my eyes, throwing my hands up and letting them slap down to my sides.

"That's great, Jack, do you know any?" There was silence. "Ha, I knew it." We had reached my house and we went inside. I went up to my room, grateful no one was home yet so I wouldn't have to explain all this to anyone. I slumped down on my bed. "What are we going to do?" I murmured, staring at the ceiling. **"**There's not really that much we _can _do.**" **He told me, making me sit up. "No, I want to rest." I made myself lie back down.

**"**Well, I have pent-up energy, I need to walk.**" **He made me sit back up. "Stop!" I pushed me back down. **"**Up! Come on, Crawford, move!**" **He told me. "Don't feel like it." I sang, grabbing the sides of the bed and holding myself down. He continued yelling through my mouth, demanding that we get some exercise, while I continued yelling, demanding that we get some rest. "No." I finally won. I smiled and snuggled up, ready to fall asleep.

**POV: Jack Brewer**

**(same time)**

I grumbled, laying on the bed as Kim snored. **"**Come on, we need to get up.**" **I made her say. She murmured in her sleep, but didn't move. I sighed, making her stand up and stretch. She continued sleeping. Boy, this was weird, it felt like I had full control of Kim's body while she was sleeping. This was my chance to take charge and figure out what was going on.

I smiled, looking in the mirror, practicing acting like Kim so no one would suspect anything. Finally deciding I could handle it, I went downstairs. Crap, her parents were home. "Hey, Kim. You're home early from school." Her mom was in the kitchen, unpacking groceries from a bag. I smiled. **"**Yep, they had a, half day at school today, so… I'm off to the dojo, bye!**" **Headed for the door.

"Hold on, young lady." I stopped, closing my eyes and making fists, then slowly turning to face her mother, offering a smile. **"**Yes, mom?**"** I asked. "You forgot your karate bag. Don't forget to pack extra clothes." She told me, smiling. I smile. **"**Oh, yeah, I uh, forgot.**"** I laughed and headed upstairs, grabbing Kim's bag and running back down.

**"**Okay, see ya.**"** I called, leaving. I sighed, puffing out my cheeks as I walked down the road. This was a completely strange and new feeling. I felt as though I was fully in control of Kim's body. I lifted my, erm, her hand and inspected it as I continued walking. I smoothed my… grr, I mean _her_ hand over my…. HER cheek, reveling at how smooth it was. This was weird.

Without realizing it, I had made it to the dojo. I sighed dropping Kim's bag and plopping down. Oops_, this doesn't look lady-like_. I slapped my legs together, then put one leg over the other like I'd seen Kim do before. I rolled my eyes. Lady-like. Never thought I'd think, _that _before. I sighed, running a hand through my hair, then giving it a weird look when it kept going and going… man, Kim's hair was long, and really nice… I shook myself out of it.

"Hey, Kim." I didn't respond right away. **"**Oh, uh, hey.**"** I smiled up at Rudy who had suddenly appeared in front of me. He looked like he hadn't gotten any sleep in a few days. He gave me a tight smile and sighed, plopping down on the bench beside me. "Life just hasn't been the same, since Jack…" He shook his head, unable to finish.

I felt my heartbreak for him. I desperately wanted to tell him I was alive, but I couldn't do that, no yet anyway. He sighed, patting my knee. "Well, get your gi on." He murmured. I nodded, watching him stand and go back into his office. "Hey Kim." I looked back to see the glum faces of Milton and Eddie. **"**Hey.**"** I said quietly, giving them a tight smile.

Never before had I seen such a sad face as that of Jerry Martinez as he walked into the dojo, his face with healing scrapes on them from that day on the mountains. "Hey Jerry." We all said quietly. He didn't reply, he just threw his stuff in his locker and grabbed his gi, then headed for the bathroom.

I sighed, grabbing Kim's gi and following him. "Uh, Kim, that's the boys room." Milton was right behind me. Ooooops…. My face turned bright red. **"**Oh, yeah, I know.**"** I made a quick turn and went into the girls room. Whoa, it smelled like, ten-thousand times better in there. I smiled and looked around. I went into one of the dressing stalls. I stared down at Kim's body. What if she woke up while I was undressing her? That would be awkward…

I shrugged, closing my eyes and undressing her quickly and dressing in the gi. I sighed, looking down. Dressing with your eyes closed was harder than one would think. Our pants were on backwards, and the shirt was all crooked. The guys would notice that. I straightened it up and slipped the pants off, being that the top was long enough to cover… that area. I slipped them back on the right way and walked out.

I walked into the battle of the century. Jerry was murdering the kicking dummy with kicks and punches. I stared, not sure what to do. I quickly decided by tip-toeing around him. "Okay, Kim, ready to work out?" Rudy asked tiredly, ignoring Jerry completely, even though he was destroying the dojo's equipment.

I nodded, getting into a fighting stance. Kim no longer had me to spar with, so she'd been sparring with Rudy the past few weeks. When she'd sparred, I had waited patiently in her mind, looking out. Now, I was in complete control, feeling as though her body was my own. This was going to be interesting.

Rudy and I began fighting. After about ten seconds, he was on the floor, moaning. I put my hands on my hips, smiling. **"**That all you got, Rudy?**"** I asked cockily, flipping Kim's hair. He moaned and stood up, staring at me. "Kim, that was incredible!" he cried. "I haven't seen anyone fight like that since…" He trailed off and stared at the floor. My smile vanished. I was Kim, I had to pretend that I was sad.

Rudy sighed. "Come on, let's see how well you do when I'm going all-in." He told me. I got back into a fighting stance. **"**Bring it on.**"** I told him quietly. We were off. I swung a fist and he blocked it. I sent a kick and he caught it, pushing it down. Double kick. Same. I did a side-kick and he blocked it. I sent another side-kick to his other side and he received it to the ribs. He stumbled slightly, then re-balanced.

I felt Kim wake up. **Kim, let's do this! **She seemed startled out of her mind, causing me to lose balance. _Wha? Where am I? What's going on? _I cried out, covering our ears as her voice had pierced through my head, stopping and just standing in the middle of the mats, Rudy standing in front of us, in a fighting stance, the strangest look on his face.

"Kim… Are, you okay?" Rudy asked. As soon as Kim realized what I'd done, I felt her anger flair up inside us, and I once again, got the feeling of conflicting control of her body. "JACK!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, causing everyone in the room to cry out and cover their ears, then turn to stare at us. I felt our –I had begun to think of her body as 'our' body- blood drain from our face. She bit our lip and rubbed her arm uneasily, letting out a sheepish giggle.

She began fixing her hair absent-mindedly and chewing relentlessly on her lower lip. The feeling reminded me of when she'd kissed me, that day on the mountains. _Jack?! What the he- ugh, heck are you doing? How did I get here?! _She demanded, stalking over to the bench and grabbing a towel, sitting down, the look of 'if I could kill you by just thinking about it, I would' on her face.

**I'm sorry, Okay? I've been cooped up in your head for so long now! I just wanted some freedom!** She made a face and rolled her eyes. _Okay, fine, but could you at least warn me before you do it while I'm sleeping? You freaked me out when I woke up here with Rudy in front of me making fists… _**To be fair, I ****_did _****want to go out, and all you wanted was to sleep… so, you have no memory of anything that happened? **She thought for a moment. _Nope. Wait, what did you do…? _She gave me that 'if you did anything stupid I'll kill you' tones.

I made her laugh. **I just kissed Jerry, made out with Rudy, and ran around screaming, 'Jack is my superhero!' **She shrieked, jumping up and throwing the towel. "Eww, ew ew ew!" She shrieked storming out of the dojo, ignoring the looks the guys were giving her.

She also ignored the looks random strangers gave her as she continued shrieking random swear words and insults as she stormed down the walk-way. **Kim, calm down, I didn't mean it! **She ignored me completely. She finally calmed down, but by then, we were halfway back to her house. By then, she was furious. "You're gross, really disgusting, Jack. That wasn't funny!" She cried, stomping her foot down, hard. **"**Ow, no need to get violent.**" **I reasoned, putting her hands out in a civil manner.

"No! That, uggghh! Why do you do this to me?" She plopped down on her front porch, shoving her elbows into our knees and her fists into our chin. **"**Take it easy!**" **I cried. "No, you listen, Jack. I have had it! You can't keep controlling my body like this!" She told me. **"**Are you going to freak out at everything I say? Or are you going to actually listen?" I stood up and she grumbled. I started pacing the porch.

**"**Look, it's simple. I don't know how long we're going to be stuck like this, but we need to work out a way to deal with it until we find a solution.**"** I told her, putting a hand on our hip. She slapped the hand away. "And stop, _touching _me." She hissed. **"**Kim!**" **I cried, throwing my hands up in frustration. **"**They're _your _hands!**" **I informed her, shoving them in her face. "Stop!" She cried, pulling away.

**"**Kim, you need to chill, okay?**" **I put our hands on her shoulders comfortingly. She sighed, staring at the ground. "Okay, Jack. If we have to deal with each other like this, we're going to have to lay down some rules." She told me, pulling our hands down. I made her nod.

"I'll go first, my first conditions are…"


	5. Kick

**Chapter five: Kick**

**POV: Rudy Gillespie**

"JACK!" Kim screamed at the top of her lungs after doing a crazy little stumble and shriek. I stared at her, my eyes wide. She stared around at everyone, then let out one of her sheepish little giggles, rubbing her arm and chewing on her lip. She stalked over to the benches and sat down with a towel.

She sat there for a while, a deadly look on her face. She chuckled once. I stared at her from the other side of the dojo, not sure what to make of her odd behavior. She suddenly jumped up, shrieking 'Eww, ew ew ew!' I stared at her as she briskly walked out of the dojo.

I blinked, concerned. I went to the door and opened it, watching her walk down the street and hearing her screaming random insults and curse words to no one in particular. I made a face and went back inside. All the guys were standing at the middle of the mats, staring at me.

I puffed out my cheeks and slowly let out the breath. "I, have no idea what just happened." I told them. "It, could be trauma from losing Jack. She was really close to him." Milton offered. A silence took over the room that usually came on whenever Jack was mentioned.

I stared sadly at the floor. I missed him so much! He was such a great kid, who'd had his whole life ahead of him! I shook my head, walking toward my office and going inside I closed and locked the door, then plopped down on the couch, leaning forward and holding my head in my hands.

**POV: Jerry Martinez**

**(same time)**

I stared after Rudy, then let my gaze meet the floor. I stared at it blindly for a few minutes, then went to my locker, got my things and left. My mind wandered aimlessly as I walked automatically toward Jack's house. I stopped at the front porch. The Brewer's had moved out a few weeks after Jack… died. They said it held too many memories.

I went around the back door, finding that the spare key was still hidden under the flower pot. I slipped it in the keyhole and unlocked the door, not bothering to close it behind me. I headed instinctively up to Jack's room. I went in. It was exactly the same as it had been before we left on that trip to the stupid mountains, the Brewers hadn't bothered taking any of Jack's things.

_Great going, Jerry. Your stupidity got your best friend killed. _I felt something wet on my cheek. I raised a hand and wiped at it, looking at my hand. Was I crying? No! I was strong. Jack would want me to be. I swallowed hard, looking around. My gaze rested on Jack's perfectly neat desk. There was a picture frame sitting there, next to his pencil case. I grabbed it.

I swallowed hard again. It was the most recent picture of me and him. We were smiling and hanging on each other like brothers. _Brothers. That's what we are. Or, were._ I swallowed again, feeling my tears coming. I didn't try to hold them back anymore as I focused on his face, smiling and carefree. That had been the day before we went to the mountains.

I stared at him. He was smiling at me. "No, Jack. It's my fault you're dead, don't smile at me!" I cried, but his grin didn't disappear. I fell back onto Jack's bed, hugging the picture to my chest and squeezing my eyes shut and letting the tears fall.

**POV: Eddie Jones**

I stared after Jerry, wondering what to do. I felt as though I had died along with Jack –though I wouldn't have minded had that happened-

I sighed, walking over to my locker and grabbing my things. "Where are you going?" Milton asked. I turned to him, my face sad. "This place just isn't the same without Jack." I looked around, reveling in all the memories. I could hear his voice echoing through the walls as if he were there at that moment.

I stared at the wall he's crashed through when Rudy first met him. I looked back at Milton. "There's too many memories here, I'm sorry man." I told him, shaking my head and patting his arm as I went by. I felt his eyes on me as I left, but I didn't stop.

I left the door, walking down the road, my head low, my shoulders drooped. I didn't slow down, I didn't turn, I didn't look back. That would be the last time I'd step foot in the dojo.

**POV: Milton Krupnick**

I sighed. Rudy had disappeared into his office, Jerry had left, Kim had gone, Eddie had gone. I was the only one left. I sighed. There was nothing for me to do. I practiced my kicks for a few minutes, but my heart wasn't in it.

I ended up just going over to Falafel Phil's. I sat in our normal spot, picking at my food. I eventually pushed it away, not hungry, and put my head down on the table.

I felt a hard flick on the back of my head. I winced, pulling my head up and looking around. Frank and his posse were staring down at me, their eyes cold.

"Frank, I'm having a bad day, leave me alone." I told him, completely unfazed. I put my head back down on the table. "I, uh haven't see Jack around lately." Frank sauntered over to the other side of the table. I winced at the very mention on his name.

"I bet he finally ditched you losers." He laughed and so did his friends. I looked up, my face nothing but pure, insipid hate. It was a bold look I had never given him before and it wiped the grin off his face. "Leave me alone, Frank." I told him darkly. He chuckled. "Somebody's getting bolder. What, did you dip your white belt in black paint?" He laughed, and so did his posse.

I continued glaring at him. "Or did Jack leave his behind?" He laughed again. I tensed up, more rigid with his every word. "No, no wait, I got one. I bet, Jack," He was giggling. "I bet Jack, was so humiliated by you, he killed himself." He burst into a fit of laughter, and so did his friends.

It was all too much for me to handle. I exploded. –figuratively, of course- "FRANK!" I cried, standing up, my fists clenched, my shoulders tensed up. I was angry now. I walked him into a wall slowly, talking darkly and slowly. "You want to know why Jack isn't here? It's because he _is _dead. Not that you'd care, but he died saving Kim and Jerry." He was up against the wall now, his eyes wide.

"He died a hero, which is more than you will ever be able to say." Tears were streaming down my cheeks, but I wore an angry expression. There was a crowd now. "W-wait, Jack's dead?" He stuttered. I swallowed hard, staring at him, my face still angry, but my eyes filled with despair.

His eyes were wide as he stared at me. "I-I didn't mean it!" He told me. "Yeah, sure." I told him, shaking my head and walking out.

**POV: Jack Brewer**

"My first conditions are, you will not… _touch _me in any way, my hands or not. You will not take full control of my body when I'm sleeping. You will not drive me crazy. You will not make a fool out of me at school, you will not…" By now, I wasn't listening anymore. Kim was really going crazy over this whole thing.

I rolled our eyes, shaking our head, causing her to scream and slam her foot into the ground. "You disobeyed my condition! You will not make me do anything without my permission!" She crossed her arms, sulking. **"**Kim, the only way we're going to get through this is if we work together.**" **She made a sound that suggested annoyance.

"And stop making me talk, it makes me look like and feel like a loon, like I'm talking to myself." She told me. I sighed and sat on the bed. She didn't harp on me for that, huh, strange. "The reason I didn't get mad at you is because I wanted to sit down anyway."

**Drat, I forgot our thoughts were no longer our own… **"I heard that." I rolled our eyes. She sighed, laying back. **"**Kim, can you just, trust me?**" **I asked. She was silent for a moment. "Okay." She said quietly at last. I stood up. **"**Let me have full control for a moment.**" **I asked.

She balked. "No! What if you don't give it back!?" She cried. **"**Kim, don't you trust me?**" **I pleaded, hurt she'd think I would do that. She swallowed hard, staring into the mirror. I saw both of our emotions in Kim's eyes. Hers- uncertainty, regret, pain. Mine- pleading, hurt, hope.

"Okay." She finally agreed, her voice barely a whisper. I smiled. **"**Now Kim, we need to be in complete cooperation with each other, we have to be in sink. We're one person now.**" **I told her. She smiled fretfully. "oh really? What's our name now that we're combined?" She asked.

I seriously considered that for a moment. "I was kidding!" She laughed, staring into the mirror. I smiled. **"**Kick. Kick is our combined name.**"**

**(A/N: I hope you liked it! My co-author, Amber Johnston is going to a summer camp next week, so I won't be updating until she gets back. I hope you guys can like, survive that long. Lol. Okay, just to be clear, all ****_this _****week we will be updating, but as of the 21st, we won't be for a week. **


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